SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Feb. 20, 2012) – Bryan Gregory of Fort Payne, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 34 pounds even Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Bama Division tournament on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Gregory earned $4,163.
“It was a special day!” said Gregory. “I caught a pretty good bag of fish by 8 a.m., and then I was able to look for the big fish. I just started heading to spots where I knew big fish lived and was able to catch three big ones. I caught a 7-pounder and two 8-pounders off of each spot. It’s a lot easier to catch the big ones when you have a 20 pound bag to start with.
“I burned a full tank of gas today,” Gregory went on to say. “And I’ve never used that much gas before. I was fishing all over the place. I was fishing anywhere from 6 to 14 feet of water and was able to catch a bunch of fish, around 25 total. I was throwing the Alabama rig. I had it rigged with Reaction Innovations Little Dippers and Skinny Dippers, swapping them back and forth. I got lucky and was able to fish the right thing at the right time and it worked out for me. That’s the way Guntersville is.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: John J. Talton, Georgetown, Tenn., five bass, 27-1, $2,082
3rd: Robert Comalander, Fairhope, Ala., five bass, 25-11, $1,387
4th: Currey Holley, Pulaski, Tenn., five bass, 24-15, $971
5th: Harold Beavers, Soddy Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 24-14, $833
6th: Jeremy Bound, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 24-7, $763
7th: Jason Hester, Haleyville, Ala., five bass, 23-9, $694
8th: Marshall Deakins, Dunlap, Tenn., five bass, 23-5, $625
9th: Kevin McMahan, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 23-4, $555
10th: Philip Dukes, Rainsville, Ala., five bass, 22-13, $461
10th: Casey Martin, New Market, Ala., five bass, 22-13, $461 +$1000 Evinrude Bonus
Lee Graves of Southside, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win $2,082 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Joey Douglas, Pleasant Grove, Ala., five bass, 20-5, $1,041
3rd: Kerry Coppock, Ohatchee, Ala., five bass, 19-12, $692
4th: Michael Roush, Mobile, Ala., five bass, 19-5, $486
5th: Danny Mosley, Collinsville, Miss., five bass, 17-1, $416
6th: Waylon Hancock, Cartersville, Ga., five bass, 17-0, $364
6th: Darrell Ramsey, Killen, Ala., five bass, 17-0, $364
8th: Keith Carpenter, Cave Spring, Ga., five bass, 16-15, $295
8th: Jay Galimore, Auburn, Ala., five bass, 16-15, $295
10th: Marcus Holladay, Athens, Ala., five bass, 16-14, $243
The next BFL Bama Division tournament is scheduled for March 17 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala. After the fifth Bama Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for the BFL All-American. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the FLW Tour.